


Research Opportunities

by atamascolily



Series: Popular Media in a Galaxy Far, Far Away [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: New Republic Era - All Media Types
Genre: Banter, Companionable Snark, F/M, Fluff, Irony, Meta, popular media in a galaxy far far away, references to Shadows of Mindor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 19:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13688406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atamascolily/pseuds/atamascolily
Summary: Mara discovers Luke conducting "research," but the resulting conversation doesn't go the way she anticipates.





	Research Opportunities

**Author's Note:**

> The all-but-inevitable follow-up to [The Best Part](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13628457). Because "Luke and Mara snarking at each other" practically writes itself.

"You must have had a bad day to be in need of such a serious ego boost," Mara Jade said as she came through the doorway of the apartment to find Luke Skywalker, -- famous Jedi Master, hero of the galaxy, and, more recently, her husband -- leafing through various titles on the holoprojector from the comfortable expanse of the living room couch. 

Luke looked up and smiled, making it clear that he would not be so easily baited. "It's true that serving as the Jedi representative for the Privy Council this week so poor Kyp could get a break isn't my favorite task, but today actually wasn't too bad." 

"So what lead to the burning desire to watch 'Luke Skywalker and the Phoenix Women of the Deshar Nebula', then?"

He toggled the screen, so that particular title faded and a series of others--all prominently featuring his name--began shifting across the screen. "I used to dismiss the holos as pointless fantasies with no bearing on my life. None of the stories people tell about me can change who I really am. But then someone wrote one specifically as way to take over the galaxy once he'd possessed my body, and it almost worked. Since then, I like to keep an eye on things, just in case." 

Ah, yes. She'd heard about the Mindor incident during her time with Karrde, but after their marriage, Luke had given her a more in-depth account. She hadn't realized until then that the mastermind responsible was Cronal, yet another Emperor's Hand she hadn't previously known about. It was just as well that Luke had killed him and saved her the trouble. 

She forced her attention back to the present as Luke was still talking. "Also you never know which one people are going to refer to next, and it's helpful to have some context." 

Well, that was reasonable enough."So this is all research material? Sounds tedious and painful," she said sympathetically as she took a seat on the couch beside him. 

"Not all of them," Luke said earnestly, with that farm-boy honesty she'd come to love. "There's a few that are actually pretty good. Then there are those that are so terrible they manage to be enjoyable somehow. I know my critics say I have no sense of humor, but I'm capable of laughing at myself when the situation calls for it. ... How do you feel about this one?" 

He changed the display and to her utmost horror, _Luke Skywalker and the Emperor's Hand_ flashed across it in garishly bright letters. She flushed. 

He saw her reaction - of course he saw it - and grinned. "Not a fan, huh?" 

"They got a surprising number of details right," she said evenly, carefully keeping her face expressionless. "I always wondered how that happened. Just as well they butchered my name, or else I would have had to kill them all." Despite her light tone, they both knew she wasn't joking. "Jada Mar, or something like that, as I recall." 

"It turns that my favorite writer, Lorz Geptun, did the script for this one, too. This was after he completely botched the investigation I'd asked for in the aftermath of the debacle on Mindor, and decided he'd make more money selling it to the holos than a career with the New Republic Judicial Service." 

"He did?" She'd never even thought to investigate.

"It was under a pseudonym, so I had to do some digging to be certain. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be someone I knew all along. He was Republic Intelligence back in the day, and defected shortly after it became Imperial Intelligence, so at least he was sympathetic to our cause. Not only did he write the original _Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor_ film, he also wrote two sequels, as well as some unrelated films featuring me, Han, Leia and Wedge. I suspect he deliberately fudged some details about the real identity of the Emperor's Hand after reading your file." 

"Huh." She hadn't thought about that holo much over the years since she'd first seen it playing in a second-rate Phorliss cantina while waiting for Karrde. She hadn't enjoyed it at the time, but it was amazing how much her life had changed since then. 

She doubted it was any better in hindsight, though. 

"I wasn't sure if you had seen it or not," Luke went on. "But judging from your reaction, I take it the answer's 'yes'. Anything in particular strike your fancy?" 

"I liked the part where she has her lightsaber at your throat." 

"I bet you did. What about the ending?" 

The ending in which Luke Skywalker's earnest righteousness--and rugged good looks--had broken through the brainwashing the Emperor had placed on his most trusted servant, and she'd confessed her undying love for him. 

It really, really _hadn't_ gone that way in real life. 

Especially when Mara was the one telling the story. 

She was damned if she was going to let him get to her, though. "At the time? I thought it was the sappiest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Also, completely anathema to reality." 

"And yet--" 

"And yet, you're still alive, Skywalker. Though I might change my mind if you keep up this particular line of inquiry."

He subsided, but she could _feel_ his amusement at her expense. She glowered at him, hoping it would be enough to get him to change the subject now that he'd made his point.

He did, but not in the way she had expected. "Did you know they made a sequel?" 

" _What_?" 

"It's unimaginatively titled _Luke Skywalker and the Emperor's Hand II_ , but they did add a subtitle, _Forbidden Love Conquers All_ , so you can tell they were really trying." 

Damn it, this was even worse than she'd imagined. "So you're telling me it's pornography." 

"Basically." Now he wasn't even trying to hide his smirk. 

"You _watched_ this?" 

"Why should I? I mean, it's not like I haven't experienced the real thing--" 

It was not, she noticed, an answer to her question, but she had other things on her mind more pressing to address. "Did Geptun write this atrocity, too?" 

"No, actually. This was a low-budget attempt to cash in on the relative success of Geptun's original script. As far as I can determine, he wasn't involved." 

"Good," she growled. "Or else I really _would_ have to kill him." 

"There are at least thirty-seven pornographic films with my name in the title and _you're_ worried about _your_ reputation?"

"That's not the point," she said, though she had to admit it was a good one. Time to change the subject again. "So what else have you found out in the course of your research this afternoon?" 

"I hadn't gotten around to watching any yet. I was hoping you could help me choose one. I was really leaning towards _Luke Skywalker and the Emperor's Hand II_ \--" 

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." 

"We could watch it together and point out all the mistakes--" 

"Are you _propositioning_ me, Skywalker?" 

He raised his eyebrows. "And that would be a problem _how_ , exactly?"

"Only if you're willing to prove we can do better than the poor, sad sods on-screen." 

"I can if you're up for the challenge." 

She rolled her eyes. "Try me." 

"Well, only one way to find out." He selected the holo and the title card flared up on the screen in response. "Ready when you are." 

She gave him a wicked grin and pressed against him so that their bodies touched, wrapping both her hands around his own. She tilted her head up to whisper in his ear. "You're on."


End file.
